Quick release mechanism



Aug. 15, 1961 w. D. MORTON, JR

QUICK RELEASE MECHANISM Filed Feb. 6, 1959 www INVENTOR.

WM! I19 0. MO/PTO/V, (/2.

iiid The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the. Government for governmental purposes without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a quick release mechanism for releasably holding two members together to prevent relative movement therebetween.

The novel quick release mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention is characterized by its adaptability for used in attaching a standard MS-22001 oxygen mask to a standard P-4 hardshell crash helmet.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a release mechanism which can be quickly actuated by the depression of a button but which will not unintentionally be disconnected when subject to extreme Windblast.

According to the present invention the quick release mechanism comprises a male member having a series of holes along the center line thereof and arranged to be inserted into a female member having a spring urged locking detent centrally located therein, said locking detent being urged into one of the series of holes in the male member to prevent the male member from being disengaged from said female member, and means to remove the locking detent from engagement with the male member to permit removal of said male member from said female member.

These and other objects and features of the present invention are described below in connectionWit-h the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the present invention in its locked position taken substantially through the center line thereof.

FIG. 2 is an exploded top view of the present inventron.

FIG. 3 is the underside of the top plate of the clasping mechanism.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the preferred embodiment of the clasping mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of-the present invention taken along the line '5'5 of FIG. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings wherein like numerals. designate like parts and more particularly to FIG. 1 wherein the bayonet having a series of holes 12 located along the center line of the extended or tongue portion 14 is lockingly inserted into the clasping mechanism generally designated 3. i

The bayonet 19 is further provided with a flared end portion 16 (FIG. 2) in which a pair of longitudinal slots 18 are located by means of which the bayonet is attached to an oxygen mask or similar article.

The clasping mechanism 8 comprises two main parts, a laterally flanged top plate 20 and a laterally flanged bottom plate 22. The top and bottom plates 20 and 22 are, both, held together in operational alignment, and mounted on a plastic helmet belt or other article 24 by four cooperating bolts 26 and nuts 28, thus forming a front or tongue receiving opening 29.

The top plate 20 is provided with a button receiving guide 30 which is attached to the top side of the top plate by rivets 3-2. Attached to the underside of the top plate is a converging'bayonet guide 34 substantially 2,995,792 Patented Aug. 15, 1961 in the form of an inverted U having a pair of oppositely disposed vertical slots 36 located near the back edge thereof, said bayonet guide being attached to the underside of the top plate by rivets 33 and one of said rivets 32. A button 40 having a pair of downwardly extending arms 42 is positioned in the button guide for relative movement therein. The arms 42 extend downwardly through guide holes 44 in the top plate 20 and are connected at their lower extremity by a cylindrical cross pin 46 having a recessed flat underside. The cross pin 46 is so positioned as to ride up and down in the vertical slots 36 of the bayonet guide 34. The upward movement of the button 4% is limited by the abutment of the cross pin 46 with the top of the vertical slots 36 and the downward movement of the button is limited by the bottom of the button 40 abutting the top of the top plate 20.

The flanged bottom plate 22 has an upwardly formed abutment portion 4% which serves as a stop for the rear end of a leaf spring 50 which is riveted to the entrance end of the bottom plate by a pair of rivets 52, a cylindrical detent 54 having a rounded top front edge is welded to the leaf spring approximately half way back along its center line.

A rigid guard or tongue deflector '56 is also riveted to the bottom plate 22 by the rivets 52, said guard follows the upper contour of the leaf spring for approximately half its length and has an opening or cutaway portion 53 therein to allow for perpendicular movement of the detent 54. Said rigid guard is so positioned to serve as a stop for limiting the upward movement of the leaf spring and also to prevent deformation of the spring when the bayonet id is thrust into the clasping mechanism 8. The abutment portion 48 aids in maintaining the detent 54 in contact with the underside of the bayonet guide 34 and permits only the central portion of leaf spring 5d to be deflected when the button 40 is depressed.

When it is desired to releasably fasten one article to another such as an oxygen mask to a crash helmet, the bayonet lid is thrust into the front opening 29 of the clasping mechanism 8. The force of the thrust will cause the end of the bayonet 16 to make contact with and ride over the rounded top front edge of the detent 54 camming the detent 54- downward against the pressure of the leaf spring 50. As the bayonet continues to move into the clasping mechanism 8 the detent 54 will alternately be spring urged into and cammed out of the holes 12 in the extended or tongue portion 14 of the bayonet.

When the bayonet has been inserted into the clasping mechanism to provide the desired tightness of fit the detent 54 will be lockingly disposed in one of the holes 12. Removal of the bayonet from the clasping mechanism is prevented by the abutment of a portion of the periphery of the selected hole 12 against the back side of the detent 54.

To quickly release the bayonet 10 from looking engagement with the clasping mechanism 8 the button 40 is depressed. The downward movement of the button arms 42 cause the flat portion of the cross pin 46 to depress the leaf spring 54 thus withdrawing the detent 54 from the selected hole 1.2 to permit the bayonet to be removed from the clasping mechanism.

The present invention has been described in detail above for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A quick release mechanism of the type described comprising a male member and a female member, said male member having a flared portion and a tongue portion, with a series of holes along the center line thereof, said female member being formed by oppositely disposed flanged first and second plates, means for both coupling said flanged first and second plates and removably mounting same, said flanged first plate having a button guide on one side thereof and a pair of openings therethrough, a U-shapcd converging guide member having a pair of oppositely disposed slots therein, a button disposed in said button guide having a pair of arms positioned for relative vertical movement in said pair of openings, a semi-cylindrical cross pin having one flat side being fixed to the extremities of said pair of arms and positioned for relative movement in said slots in said guide member, said flanged second plate having an abutment member at one end thereof and a leaf spring and leaf spring guard fixed to the other end, said leaf spring having a detent located at approximately the center thereof, said leaf spring being positioned so that its end por tion abuts said abutment member, and means on said detent to permit the male member to enter said female member but be removed from said female member only upon depression of said button.

2. A separable two-part fastener comprising a male member and a female member, said male member including a locking tongue member, said female member comprising complemental first and second side flanged clamping plates having a tongue member receiving opening therebetween and clamping flanges formed along the opposite sides of the plates at opposite sides of the opening, means for securing the clamping flanges together at opposite sides of the opening, a substantially U-shaped in cross section tongue receiving guide plate secured in said opening to one side of said first clamping plate between said clamping flanges and having spaced side guide flanges extending at opposite sides of said tongue opening toward said second plate in spaced relation to said side flanges, an annular release button guide flange extending outwardly from the other side of said first clamping plate, said first clamping plate having spaced release button arm receiving guide openings therethrough extending from within the opposite sides of the interior of said annular release button guide flange into the tongue member receiving opening intermediate the U-shaped member and the clamping flanges in a plane perpendicular to said tongue member receiving opening, said U-shaped member having oppositely disposed release button guide slots therein extending from the outer edges of the flanges of the U-shaped tongue receiving guide member toward said first clamping plate in the plane of said guide openings, an annular latch release button fitting said annular recess and depressible therein toward said first flanged plate, said button having latch release arms at opposite sides thereof extending through said button arm receiving guide openings at the opposite outer sides of said U- shaped member, a latch release bar extending across said U-shaped member through said guide slots therein, secured at its opposite ends to the extremities of said latch release arms, a latch detent spring member fixed at one end to one end of said second flanged plate and extending between the flanges of said U-shaped member toward the other end of said second flanged plate, said spring member being bent upwardly into contact with said latch release bar and extending rearwardly away from said secured end to be depressed by said cross bar upon depression of said latch release button, a spring support formed on the opposite end of said second flanged plate to support the free end of said latch detent spring member, a tongue deflector plate fixed to said second flanged plate at the spring secured end thereof, overlying said latch detent spring, a locking detent fixed to said spring member intermediate said spring secured end thereof and said latch release cross bar and extending through said tongue deflector plate toward said first flanged plate intermediate the Side flanges of said U-shaped tongue receiving guide plate for locking engagement with said tongue member when said tongue member is inserted between said flanged plates from said spring secured end, said tongue member having means formed thereon for locking engagement with said locking detent member when said tongue member is inserted in said tongue receiving opening.

3. A locking fastener for an elongated rigid tongue member having a plurality of latching openings formed therein intermediate the side edges thereof, said fastener comprising a first flanged plate and a second flanged plate, said plates being flanged along their side edges and adapted to be secured together to form a converging tongue receiving opening therebetween intermediate the side flanges to receive the tongue member therebetween, an annular release button receiving recess formed on the outer surface of the first flanged plate and formed with a pair of button arm receiving openings extending therethrough into the tongue receiving opening adjacent the opposite sides of the converging tongue receiving opening, a U-shaped in cross section tongue guide plate secured to the inner surface of said first plate intermediate the release button arm guide openings having parallel side flanges projecting toward said second plate and formed with parallel guide slots therein in the plane of said arm guide openings extending from the outer edges of said parallel flanges materially toward the inside of the first flanged plate, a latch release cross bar slidably disposed in said guide slots and extending across said U-shaped tongue guide plate, a release button depressible in said button receiving recess formed with parallel arms at opposite sides thereof extending through said arm guide openings, said arms connected at their outer end to said cross bar at the opposite ends thereof, said second flanged plate having a spring support at the end thereof remote from the entrance to said tongue receiving recess, a tongue deflector at its opposite end for deflecting the tongue member toward said first plate, a leaf spring secured at said opposite end of said second flanged plate and extending between said side flanges of said U-shaped member having its free end supported by said spring support and a locking detent fixed on said spring member and extending toward said first plate intermediate the side flanges of said U-shaped member for locking engagement with said tongue member when said tongue member is inserted into the converging tongue receiving recess.

4. A locking fastener for an elongated rigid tongue member having a plurality of latching means formed thereon intermediate the side edges thereof, said fastener comprising a first flanged plate and a second flanged plate, said plates being flanged along their side edges and adapted to be secured together to form a converging tongue receiving opening therebetween intermediate the side flanges to receive the tongue member therebetween, an annular release button receiving recess formed on the outer surface of the first flanged plate and formed with a pair of button arm receiving openings extending therethrough into the tongue receiving opening adjacent the opposite sides of the converging tongue receiving opening, a U-shaped in cross section tongue guide plate secured to the inner surface of said first plate intermediate the button arm receiving openings having side flanges projecting toward said second plate and formed with parallel guide slots therein in the plane of said arm receiving openings extending from the outer edges of said side flanges materially toward the inside of the first flanged plate, a latch release cross bar slidably disposed in said guide slots and extending across said U-shaped member, a release button depressible in said button receiving recess formed with parallel arms at opposite sides thereof extending through said button arm receiving openings, said arms connected at their outer end tosaid cross bar at the opposite ends thereof, said second flanged plate having a spring support at the end thereof remote from the entrance to said tongue receiving opening, a tongue deflector at its opposite end for deflecting the tongue member toward said first plate, a leaf spring secured at said opposite end of said second flanged plateand extending between said side flanges of said U-shaped tongue guide plate having its free end supported by said spring support and locking means actuated by said spring member for locking engagement with said tongue member when said tongue member is inserted into the converging tongue 5 receiving recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 556,538 Haney Mar. 17, 1896 10 6 Dally Feb. 2 6, 1907 Rogers Jan. 31, 1911 Binkley Nov. 1, 1921 Schwerd Feb. 12, 1924 Statham Sept. 22, 1936 Roth Ian. 13, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 25, 1881 Italy Oct. 14, 1932 

